Sweet Basil

Since I spoke about lemon basil the other day, let me talk about sweet basil today. There is nothing better than the taste of fresh basil. Especially when you put it together with Jersey fresh tomatoes! I made a few things last week with those lovely ingredients.

Margherita Pizza

It doesn't get any easier than this. My husband and I decided to have a pizza cook off. We wanted to see who could make the best pizza. Of course, only we were the judges, so he thinks his pizza won, but I think mine won!!

Ingredients

~Fresh pizza dough

(They sell this in Shop Rite for $2.99 over near the deli where the store pizza's are in the refridgerated case.)

~flour (for shaping your dough)

~1 Roma tomato, sliced thin

~ Fresh basil leaves, chopped

~ Fresh mozarella

~ EVOO

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Using flour, work the dough to get your desired thickness of crust. We actually cut the entire dough ball in half to make two individual pizzas. 

3. Brush a little olive oil over the surface. Top with tomatoes, cheese and basil. 

4. Sprinkle a little more olive oil over top.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is cheese is completely melted and crust is golden brown.

Angel Hair Tomato Basil Toss

Ingredients

~ 1/2 cup olive oil    

          ~ 1 teas. salt                          

                                        ~ 2 cloves garlic, minced                                  

                                 ~ 1/4 teas. coarse ground black pepper

                                       ~ 1/4 cup chopped onions                               

 ~ 1/2 lb. angel hair pasta

                                      ~ 3-4 large tomatoes, peeled and diced         

      ~ grated parmesan cheese

          ~ 2 Tbls. chopped fresh basil



 Directions

1. In large skillet, heat oil. Add garlic and onions; stir-fry for one minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Prepare angel hair pasta according to package directions; drain.

4. Toss tomato mixture with hot cooked pasta. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with

parmesan cheese.

 Makes 4-6 servings.

**Variation:  Add 6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon or 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or turkey.

Lemon Basil

Yesterday, while plucking the tiny flowers from my basil plant, I started to think of ways I could use this lemony basil. I thought, "This would probably be tasty muddled in a tall glass of iced tea."     

      So I went to work muddling some basil, mint leaves, lemon wedges and a little simple sugar in a tall glass. Next I added ice and poured in some freshly brewed iced tea. I added a straw and fun little drink umbrella. Presto . . . .a delcious, refreshing beverage. Excellent for a hot day. I can't think of anything that would have made this beverage taste better, except maybe some rum!

     It's a funny thing. . . I bought this basil plant at the grocery store, totally thinking it was your typical, sweet basil. Afterall, the packaging said "BASIL." You know, the kind that just comes wrapped in plastic with roots at the bottom.  Most people probably just sit it on their windowsill in a glass of water and use it immediately. Not me. I decided to plant it. Well it took to my pot and soil very nicely as you can see. The very first time I went to pluck some of these lucious green leaves, I discovered that this is not your ordinary basil. This is lemon basil! You can not believe what a strong lemon scent, as well as taste, this plant has. 

Chicken Satay Sliders



Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray August 2011 issue



I was very excited to try these tiny, but very tasty burgers. I've never make "chicken burgers," so I wasn't sure how they would be received by my husband . .. . but he really liked them!! The satay sauce is excellent!

Ingredients

Sauce

~1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I used creamy)

~1/4 cup apple juice, apple cider or pineapple juice (I used apple juice and added a little more than the recipe called for until I got the flavor I was looking for)

~3 tbsp tamari (dark soy sauce)

~1 tbsp asian chili-garlic sauce or sriracha (I used sriracha)

Sliders

~1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken

~2 scallions, finely chopped

~2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

~1 piece fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped (I used ground ginger, about 1/4 teaspoon)

~S&P

~vegetable oil, for coating

~8 slider-size soft rolls, such as Pepperidge Farm or brioche dinner rolls, split

Toppings

~Shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce

~Sliced chile peppers, such as fresnos, or thinly sliced radishes

~Fresh mint or cilantro, chopped

We used cabbage, mint and cilantro on our sliders. I think another great topping would be a nice cool cucumber sliced thin. 

Directions

~Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Heat the peanut butter to soften in the microwave, in a small pot over medium heat or on the grill. Stir in the juice (or cider) to sweeten, the tamari for salt and the chili-garlic sauce for heat. As I mentioned above, I added a little more apple juice to get the desired flavor I was looking for.

~Mix the meat with the scallions, garlic and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Form into 8 patties and coat with a little oil. Grill, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Douce with lots of satay sauce and serve on the rolls with the toppings of your choice.

Enjoy!

Easy Cinnamon Buns



Recipe from the Rowan College Cookbook

This is by far the best cinnamon bun recipe I've ever come across. These are right up there with bakery buns! This recipe is an absolute crowd pleaser. I promise . .. . you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts0
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 (3oz) vanilla or butterscotch pudding (not instant)
• 2 to 4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 (24) count pkg frozen dough balls

Directions

Grease a 10-inch bundt pan well. Sprinkle raisins and nuts around the bottom of the pan. Shake cinnamon over dough balls and arrange in pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and pudding over top. Drizzle melted butter over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with cloth and let rise overnight (do not refrigerate). Bake, uncovered, the next day at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until golden. Invert on plate and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Summer "Squash-amole"

Recipe from Rachael Ray's Everyday August 2011 issue

     Zucchini is one of my all time favorite vegetables. It is fantastic chopped up in dishes, as well as, by itself. I absolutely love it grilled, with a little olive oil and season salt. Yesterday I shared the grilled ratatouille boats, which were little zucchini boats filled with a delicious blend of sauted eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onion and garlic, topped with mozzerella cheese. I figured I'd keep my love of zucchini going. This recipe was supposed to serve as a little appetizer before I made dinner the other night. We ate so much of it, neither one of us was hungry for dinner! Of course my favorite part of this recipe is that it all goes in the food processor!

Ingredients

• 6 unpeeled cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 lb. yellow squash, sliced lengthwise (I used 2)
• 1lb. zucchin, sliced lengthwise (I used 2)
• 1 sweet onion thickly sliced
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup toasted walnuts** (see bottom)
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• tortilla chips (I served it with blue tortilla chips and pita chips)

Directions

• Wrap garlic with 1 tbsp EVOO in foil and grill until tender, about 20 minutes; squeeze cloves from skins. Be sure to keep an eye on this. I actually had to do this twice because I totally burned the first batch and they were like little bricks.  . . you want medium to low heat. I suggest even flipping it around in the foil once in a while.
• Brush squash, zucchini and onion with remaining 3 tbsp. EVOO; season with salt & pepper. I actually put them all in a large zip lock bag and tossed them around in the EVOO, s&p.
• Grill until charred, 10 minutes. Using a food processor, puree veggies with parmesan, walnuts, thyme and garlic.
• Serve with chips.

**When toasting walnuts you can use one of two methods. You can toast them in the oven, on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, or in a pan on the stove top, over medium heat, for about 3-5 minutes. You can toast them dry or with a tiny bit of oil. I have a side burner on my grill, so it was easy for me to do everything on the grill. I used a little EVOO on the walnuts when toasting them. Everything smelled and tasted absolutely delicious!  

Enjoy!

Grilled Ratatouille Boats

Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray August 2011 issue

If you're like me, you love all the great flavors summer has to offer. There's nothing better than fresh herbs and vegetables. I think the only thing that would make these delicious veggies better is if I actually grew them myself (maybe next year). For now, the only thing I'm growing this summer is mint, (that's a whole blog post in itself), basil and rosemary. These ratatouille boats were so delicious and aside from the cheese, pretty good for you. My husband and I were actually fighting over the leftovers for lunch today and since he gets up earlier than I do . . .. he won! I guess I'll just have to make them again! The went very well with the grilled rosemary chicken we made!

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 3 Tbls EVOO
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated (I chopped it)
• 1 eggplant, cubed
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• salt & pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (who's really measuring this . .. just pile it on!)

Directions

• Using a melon baller, scoop balls of flesh from the center of the zucchini to create boats; reserve the flesh balls. Preheat a grill to meduim-high.
• Heat 1 tbsp. EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. EVOO, the eggplant and zucchini balls; cover and cook for 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper.
• Fill the zucchini shells with the ratatouille, sprinkle with the cheese and grill, covered, over medium-high until the cheese is melted and the shells are slightly softened.

ENJOY!

Firecracker Red White and Blue Cake

I know, I'm a little late for 4th of July. . .but hey, better late than never. This cake was not only delicious, it was fun to make. My 6 year old neice had a great time helping me make this cake. My family had an even better time eating it!



Recipe from http://www.bettycrocker.com/

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix (I used a yellow cake mix)
• water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
• red and blue food color
• 1 container (12oz) Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting

Directions

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan. Make cake batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Pour 1 cup of the batter into small bowl; stir in red food color until well mixed. Pour another cup of the batter into separate bowl; stir in blue food color until well mixed.
• Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. Carefully pour remaining white batter over red batter in pan. Carefully pour blue batter over white batter. (Blue batter does not need to cover white batter completely; it looks better if it just forms a ring in the center of the white batter.)
• Bake as directed on box or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place cooking rack over cookie sheet. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack. Cook cake completely, about 30 minutes.
• When cake is cool, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwavable bowls. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting oncovered on high a few seconds until it is smooth enough to drizzle over cake. With spoon, drizzle white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops of blue food color until well blended. Drizzle over cake, scattering frosting back and forth. Repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and red food color, making sure red, white and blue frostings can be seen on cake. Let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set before serving.
• Decorate with red, white and blue sprinkles.

Printable recipe

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites

There are some really great recipes I'd like to share this week from the August 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. This is one of them. I made this quick and easy, no-bake, dessert last week when having my inlaws and stepsons over for dinner. Excuse the picture . . .I had already taken a bite once I realized I hadn't snapped a picture yet!    

Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray August 2011

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies
• 4 tbsp. melted butter
• 1/2 tsp gelatin
• 8 oz. room-temperature cream cheese
• 7 oz. condensed milk
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

Directions

Mix cookie crumbs with butter; press into 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Combine gelatin with 1 tbsp. water; let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, condensened milk and peanut butter. Microwave gelatin 20 to 30 seconds to melt; beat into cream cheese mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill pan and freeze 20 minutes. Cut into bite-size squares.

ENJOY!

Hello Summer!

Boy oh boy have I been busy the last few weeks! Between finishing up my school year and making cookies for lots of special occasions, I have hardly had time for anything else. I am so thrilled to finally be finished with school for the summer. Now maybe I'll have more time for other things!  Here are some of my latest cookie creations.



Congrats and best wishes to all the grads, dads and beautiful brides!!

Happy June, happy summer!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my favorite summer salad recipes. The original recipe, from my mom, is really called "Apple Spinach Salad." As a substitute, you can use strawberries, but I love the strawberries version so much . .  . I usually make it with them instead of apples. Either way, it's a winner!!

Ingredients

1 bag baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup golden raisins (I used regular brown raisins because that's what I had)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashews (Pecans are also delish in this recipe!)

1 pint strawberries. Wash, hull and slices lenngthwise into 1/4 inch slices.

Dressing

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. celery salt or seed

Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss into salad just before washing.

**Can substitute 2 golden apples, sliced but not peeled for the strawberries.

Enjoy!!

Memorial Day Cookies

A friend of mine asked if I could create some "Memorial Day" themed sweet treats for a little get together she planned . I made American flag and star cookies and chocolate covered pretzels. 

 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Cookies for a Girl's Night

Last week I talked about the decorative, black and white boxes I found at Dollar Tree. I used the boxes to create two cookie displays for Kara, from Tizzi Lish. She was hosting a "Shop and Swap" girl's night. The displays included shoes, purses and a martini glass with "Shop and Swap" written on them. Here is the finished product:

I tried something new on a few of these cookies. I drew some black flowers on waxed  paper, placed an edible pearl in the middle and allowed them to dry over night. Once dry, they popped right off the waxed paper and I was able to attach them to the cookie using a little icing as glue. This one was my favorite! 

Next up . . . . Memorial Day Cookies!

Happy Tuesday!

Black, White & Hot Pink

I absolutely love hot pink, but when you add black and white to the mix, the colors just totally pop! Check out these great boxes I found the other day at the dollar store. Can you guess what I'll be using them for?

Kara, from Tizzi Lish, asked if I could create two cookie displays for a girl's night she is hosting. This is the interesting part .  .. it's for a "Shop and Swap" party. At first, I was not quite sure what this was. Then Kara sent me this adorable invitation:

I actually didn't see this invitation until after I bought the boxes. Now I am even more excited about them!! Of course . . . my boxes don't have a lick of pink on them . . . not yet anyway. Stay tuned to see how it all comes together. 

Happy Hump Day!   

Graduation Cookies

With college graduations in full swing right now, my latest venture has been graduation cookie displays. I am having a lot of fun with these cookies. The arrangements consist of stars, graduation caps, diplomas, and a 2011 cookie, all decked out in the school colors . How cute are the little scrolls on the diplomas? (Those are my favorites!!) 

  Got a grad in your life that would like a cookie arrangement?

Contact me to place an order!

Gourmet Night

John and I recently got involved in "Gourmet Night" with four other couples. We get together once a month for a night of food, friends and fun! It is the hosting couple's responsibility to make the entire meal and all the other couples bring the beverages. May was our month to host. We planned a "Cinco de Mayo" theme. While I don't have too many pictures from Gourmet Night, I do have some tasty recipes to share.



Here's what was on the menu.



Appetizers

~Chicken Taco Cups

~Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

~Jalapeno Poppers

~7 Layer Taco Dip

~Chips and Salsa

Main Course

~DIY Taco Station

~Mexican Lasagna

~Sweet Corn Cake

~ Saffron Rice

Dessert

~Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries

~Margarita -n- Lime Shaped Sugar Cookies



These two appetizers came from the Taste of Home website. If you like Mexican food, I highly recommend these!

Chicken Taco Cups

Ingredients

~1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

~1 envelope taco seasoning

~1 small onion, chopped

~1 jar (16 ounces) salsa, divided

~2 cups (8ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

~36 wonton wrappers

~Sour Cream

Directions

• Sprinkle chicken with taco season. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir the chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes or until juices run clear. Transfer chicken to a food processor; cover and process until chopped. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, half the salsa and 1 cup cheese.
• Press wonton wrappers into a miniature muffin tin (I used regular sized muffin tins) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Spoon rounded tablespoons of chicken mixture into cups; top with remaining salsa and cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with sour cream, green onions and olives if desired.

Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients
~25 medium fresh jalapeno peppers

~1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

~3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes. In a large saucepan, boil peppers in water for 5-10 minutes (the longer you boil the peppers, the milder they become). Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside
• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Spoon 2 teaspoonfuls into each jalapeno half; sprinkle with bacon.
• Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

ENJOY!

Pizza Pasta Salad

John and I are having some friends over this afternoon for a little BBQ. I decided pasta salad would be a nice side with our burgers and dogs. I found this recipe in my recipe box with my handwriting. However, I'm not quite sure where I got the recipe. I've definitely never made it before . . . but it looks really good.

Ingredients

~8 cups cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta**

~1 small green pepper cut in thin strips

~1/2 cup sliced pepperoni

~1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips

~1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives (black)

~2 TBLS chopped fresh basil

~2 ripe tomatoes coarslely chopped (I used grape tomatoes)

~1 cup Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (or any robust Italian Viniagrette)

~1 (8 oz.) package fancy shredded pizza, mozzarello or Italian blend cheese

~Sliced marinated artichoke hearts or mushrooms (optional) (I used marinated mushrooms)

~hot red pepper flakes

Directions

In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Pour dressing over and toss lightly. Add half the cheese; toss lightly. Top with remaining cheese; garnish with tomato wedges and fresh basil.

**Rotelle, shells or curley elbow may be substituted.

Enjoy!

Easter Centerpiece

My husband and I hosted Easter yesterday for his family. It is the first time we've hosted a holiday in our new home. We had eleven people. We were so busy, I completely forgot to snap any pictures once everything was put out. I did remember to take a picture of my table centerpiece, which I was so excited about!!

My inspiration came from a picture I saw in the Martha Stewart Living Magazine. She had a beautiful arrangement of tulips in a large vase. Originally I was going to place my tulips in a large, glass, hurricane vase, then I went shopping in our attic. I knew my mom had left some things in the attic when they moved. I thought maybe I would find something that my flowers would look great in. Sure enough I found this beautiful, old pitcher. Unfortunately, the handle was broken off in about four pieces, but all the pieces were sitting inside of it. I called my mom to find out who this pitcher belonged to. My mom said she definitely remembers my grandmother (her mother) having it in her house, but it may have even belonged to her mother's mother (my great grandmother) at one time. Either way . . . .it's perfect and I knew it would look great on my dining room table with tulips in it. After a little glue on the handle . . . . good as new!    

In order to arrange my tulips, I followed Martha's tip of placing a smaller vase within a larger vase. See below.

The best part is, most of the tulips I bought were potted plants. I just snipped the stems off for my centerpiece. Now I'll plant the bulbs and next year . . . beautiful tulips all over again!

I hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday with family and friends! 

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies!

So it's been a while since I've posted! I've been busy with so many things lately. Between cookie orders and getting organized for our big Easter dinner, I've hardly had time for anything else. Last weekend I had a pretty big order for cookies and some other sweet treats for a christening. Take a look!



Here's the entire order!

WOW! How sweet is that?

This weekend has been all about Easter Egg cookies. A few of my coworkers have ordered cookie arrangements from me. These are turing out so cute.

Happy Easter!